# Instance Manual

Welcome to Instance, a tool for making 2D games. This manual is also built into the
IDE: open it with **Help > Contents** or press **F1**.

## Getting started

- [Welcome to Instance](intro/welcome.md)
- [Installing and running Instance](intro/installing.md)
- [A tour of the IDE](intro/tour.md)
- [Your first game](intro/first-game.md)
- [Core ideas: resources, objects, events and rooms](intro/concepts.md)

## Using the IDE

- [The main window](ide/main-window.md)
- [Sprites](ide/sprites.md)
- [The image editor](ide/image-editor.md)
- [Sounds and music](ide/sounds.md)
- [Backgrounds](ide/backgrounds.md)
- [Paths](ide/paths.md)
- [Scripts and the code editor](ide/scripts.md)
- [Fonts](ide/fonts.md)
- [Time lines](ide/timelines.md)
- [Objects](ide/objects.md)
- [Events](ide/events.md)
- [Actions](ide/actions.md)
- [Rooms](ide/rooms.md)
- [Game information](ide/game-information.md)
- [Global game settings](ide/game-settings.md)
- [Constants, triggers and included files](ide/constants-triggers-files.md)
- [Extension packages](ide/extensions.md)
- [Running and debugging games](ide/running-and-debugging.md)
- [Creating executables](ide/executables.md)
- [Exporting a web page](ide/web-pages.md)
- [Project files and project folders](ide/project-files.md)
- [Instance in the browser](ide/web.md)
- [Keyboard shortcuts](ide/shortcuts.md)

## The GML language

- [GML overview](gml/overview.md)
- [Variables and scope](gml/variables.md)
- [Expressions and operators](gml/expressions.md)
- [Statements and control flow](gml/statements.md)
- [Arrays](gml/arrays.md)
- [Functions and scripts](gml/scripts.md)
- [Addressing other instances: `with`, `other` and object names](gml/instances.md)
- [Constants](gml/constants.md)
- [Common pitfalls](gml/pitfalls.md)

## How games run

- [The game loop and event order](runtime/game-loop.md)
- [Instances, objects and parenting](runtime/instances.md)
- [Movement and collisions](runtime/movement-and-collisions.md)
- [Rooms and views](runtime/rooms-and-views.md)
- [Drawing](runtime/drawing.md)
- [Sound and music](runtime/sound.md)
- [Input: keyboard, mouse and joysticks](runtime/input.md)
- [Saving, files and settings](runtime/files-and-saving.md)
- [Errors and debugging](runtime/errors.md)
- [3D graphics](runtime/3d.md)
- [Multiplayer](runtime/multiplayer.md)
- [Extensions and DLLs](runtime/extensions-and-dlls.md)

## Function reference

- [Reference index](reference/README.md)
- [Computing: numbers, strings, dates](reference/computing.md)
- [Game play: movement, paths, collisions, instances, rooms, timing, events](reference/game-play.md)
- [User interaction: keyboard, mouse, joystick](reference/user-interaction.md)
- [Game graphics: drawing, surfaces, tiles, windows, views](reference/game-graphics.md)
- [Sound and music](reference/sound-and-music.md)
- [Splash screens, messages and highscores](reference/splash-and-messages.md)
- [Resources: reading and changing them at runtime](reference/resources.md)
- [Files, registry, INI files and programs](reference/files-and-system.md)
- [Data structures](reference/data-structures.md)
- [Particles](reference/particles.md)
- [Multiplayer](reference/multiplayer.md)
- [DLLs](reference/dlls.md)
- [3D graphics](reference/3d-graphics.md)
- [All functions, variables and constants (A–Z)](reference/index.md)